New Release: The by Kilian Addictive State of Mind Collection

INTOXICATED – WHAT I SMELL: Intoxicatedopens with a boozy burnt coffee note that is sweet, yet flattened. It feels like it’s been sprinkled with dry nutmeg and it has a rather marshmallow thickness consistency about it. It makes me want to fire up my espresso machine, because this would make for a nice after dinner drink to go with a hot cup of coffee. As Intoxicated starts to develop, it becomes a bit nuttier, richer and it begins to rise and jump off the skin, growing with projection each minute. There’s a nice herbal quality that rests like a haze on top the layered fragrance and a bit of sweet and light caramel emerges giving it more dimension. As time progresses, the light booziness retreats, but the roasted coffee and nuttiness remains. After around a half and hour, a light vetiver appears, bringing just a bit of sharpness into the mix. As it keeps developing, it turns from the gourmand to a more woody creation. But the great thing about the by Kilian fragrances is that they are so supremely finished and silky smooth so that the different variations in the fragrance make the notes hard to define and pin down.

Intoxicated Notes: cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, coffee

Gourmet S’mores

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The most luxurious S’more with a lightly sweet refined cocoa’d chocolate with the finest of graham crackers. And when you’ve finished eating the lovely concoction, the warm, sweet and fired remains of the treat linger in the air.

LIGHT MY FIRE – WHAT I SMELL: Light My Fire opens with this dry hay like tobacco and honey. Quickly, a cumin notes comes in along with the patchouli. It’s dry and a bit sour. The honey isn’t thick, but more like a dried and crackled glaze over the hay. It’s rather comforting to me, as it’s a bit dusty too…as if the perfume has been stored in an old barn. Along with the honey, there seems to creep out a bit of a brown sugar note. There’s a tender sweetness about the fragrance that’s very muted which I find quite nice and heart-warming. After around 10 minutes, a putty note appears giving Light My Fire a bit of thickness. At this point, the initial hay that brought in the dryness begins to be filled instead with a more woody note which isn’t quite as devoid of moisture, but it’s still rather dry. Light My Fire doesn’t transform all that much, but it’s such a nice and relaxing fragrance, the kind that’s good for soothing one’s soul. Don’t get me wrong though, as relaxing as this is, there is still some power and projection behind it.

SMOKE FOR THE SOUL – WHAT I SMELL: Smoke for the Soul opens big with this warmed eucalyptus topped by a nutty tobacco. It’s quite thick and a bit chewy and somewhat burnt around the edges. After a bit, it begins to dry and it becomes more burnt, like the sticks of wood are actually firing up on your skin. A birch note begins to appear almost as if the already flaky bark is falling off of the perfume exposing a more sharpened cannabis note that’s quite pungent and sour. The fragrance then dries out and becomes pure wood. However, the wood continues its slow burn with a slight smoky and sharp finish sitting above a vetiver base.

BOTTOM LINE: With the by Kilian name, you’re getting luxury not only in a scent, but also in the packaging. This new collection is no exception as each perfume comes in a case designed to look like a luxurious cigar holder. Intoxicated and Light my Fire are really smooth, refined and perfectly finished and live up to the by Kilian brand. Smoke for the Soul plays “which one of these is not like the others” with the other two. It’s nice, but it just doesn’t feel like it fits into the mix. In any case, overall, a very nice collection.

It sounds like I really must revisit the collection. I smelled these at Saks about two weeks ago and thought they were just meh. I got a sample but since it was not marked, i have no clue which one it was. Because I don’t have a life (actually I do haha), I will wear it and guess which one it is based on your review and then I’ll have it verified. Nice reviews.

On a side note, I think you should review the MinNY private label collection (I think there’s a more sophisticated name but I am too lazy to look it up). I know others have written reviews but your perspective would be fabulous and might just end up prompting me to join the club (not to be confused with the hideous Xerjoff JTC collection).

You probably smelled Smoke for the Soul which is my meh of the collection. As for the MinNY private label. I really have problems with these private membership groups. It strikes me of elitism. Perfume is to be enjoyed by everyone. Even though some of the prices are outside the realm of every budget, they are still accessible to all. I don’t need to join a group that has a “Grand Poobah” mentality. Maybe I’m just crabby tonight.. LOL

I don’t seem to do too well with By Kilians – or not with the original range, say – on account of a house accord in the scents that often tips me over into headache country. I do love Sweet Redemption, mind, and Rose Oud and Love & Tears were also fine. I would give Intoxicated a smell, because I love a good gourmand, even though I don’t do coffee either!

Hmmm, my dear Vanessa. If the Kilian accord is prone to give you headaches, Intoxicated will probably do so as well. Actually,even though I gave Intoxicated more stars, I’m much more attracted to Light my Fire and if you like a hay note, it’s really nice without getting too sweet with the honey. I will agree with you on Rose Oud, it’s one of my favorites. I’m surprised that I never got a bottle. Oh wait…I think that has something to do with the price maybe??!

I want to try all these because I really-really like By Kilian brand but yet to find a single for perfume which I would want to buy a full bottle (so far a couple of scents made into my collection as decants).

You know that they are coming out with a line of perfumed jewelry. I think they’re going to introduce them at Sniffa this year. Somehow I don’t see you as a perfumed jewelry kind of woman…but you tell me.

I saw the pictures and I kind of liked some of them but I’m afraid it might be too much of a commitment… I change my costume jewelry probably as often as I change my perfumes… But I might change my mind after I see them in RL 😉

I’ve been trying to stay away from Kilian because of the price, my wallet simply cannot handle me falling in love with one, but I think I might just get some samples now. Great review as always and I like the looks of this collection. 🙂

So sorry about missing this comment. I was cleaning up my files and for some reason this comment was put in limbo land! The Kilian fragrances are either a hit or miss for me. I love Rose Oud and Incense Oud a great deal, but some of the others have left me pretty cold. For the price, you really have to love them!